Swimming in Rome's river Tiber will be possible within five years, according to the city's mayor Roberto Gualtieri, who reiterated plans announced earlier this summer. Describing it as "an absolutely achievable goal", Gualtieri on Wednesday said he has discussed the project directly with Italy's environment minister Pichetto Fratin and Lazio govern...
READ MOREWhen we think of ancient Rome, it’s easy to picture stern senators, burly warriors, and marble temples. But Romans also loved to unwind, and their leisure, at least in part, can feel surprisingly familiar: they packed stadiums for races, cheered stars of the stage and arena, lingered in public baths, ate in taverns, gambled, and celebrated holidays...
READ MOREOn September 18, 2025, in the historic Ponte district, between Piazza Navona and Castel Sant’Angelo, the Ponte Art and Design District, Rome’s first permanent district dedicated to design, contemporary art, artistic crafts and antiques, was born. The project, promoted by the Roma Faber association and supported by the Lazio Region, the Superintende...
READ MORETwo exceptionally young individuals, Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, who devoted their short lives to Christ’s love and charity, have already inspired millions of young people worldwide. Tomorrow, in St. Peter’s Square, these two blessed souls will be officially declared saints by Pope Leo XIV. But what exactly does “saint” mean in the Cath...
READ MOREThis summer, a group of Penn State students journeyed to Italy to walk the same streets once roamed by emperors, senators and gladiators. As part of the "Study Tour of Roman History and Archaeology," led by Erin Hanses, assistant teaching professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, and Thaddeu...
READ MOREA short distance from the urban chaos of Rome, ten meters below the street level, there still exists an ancient and mysterious world: the Catacombs of San Marcellino and Pietro, which are not only an archaeological site but an immersive experience that combines primitive Christian art and faith. When thinking of Rome, the Colosseum, the Vatican, t...
READ MOREThe ancient Romans loved food just as modern Italians do. We know this thanks to archaeology, as well as several of their recipes that reached us through the works of writers like Apicius. If there is an ingredient associated with their ancient cuisine, that is certainly garum, a pungent, fish-based sauce we can consider the ancient version of toda...
READ MOREWhen we think about the most powerful families in Italy’s past, especially when it comes to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, two names emerge: the Medicis and the Borgias – even if the latter weren’t Italians, but Spanish in origin. Truth is, many others grew in power and prestige in those centuries and affected the political, historical, and...
READ MOREOver half a century after it vanished, the remarkable “Head of Alexander”—a marble bust dating to the first century CE and believed to portray Alexander the Great or a figure inspired by him—has finally returned to Italy. The sculpture originally belonged to the Antiquarium of the Roman Forum, where it disappeared sometime during the twentieth cent...
READ MOREFrancis Ford Coppola, the acclaimed American director of "The Godfather" movies and "Apocalypse Now," underwent a non-emergency cardiac procedure in a Rome hospital and is doing fine, he and a U.S.-based representative said on Tuesday. "Mr. Coppola went in for a scheduled update procedure" performed by renowned Italian-born cardiologist Dr. Andrea...
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